TURNER DEFENDS CIA FOREIGN INFLUENCE ACTIVITY

Document Type: 
Collection: 
Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 
CIA-RDP05S00620R000601560031-0
Release Decision: 
RIFPUB
Original Classification: 
K
Document Page Count: 
2
Document Creation Date: 
December 22, 2016
Document Release Date: 
February 12, 2010
Sequence Number: 
31
Case Number: 
Publication Date: 
February 7, 1978
Content Type: 
OPEN SOURCE
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PDF icon CIA-RDP05S00620R000601560031-0.pdf632.59 KB
Body: 
Approved For Release 2010/02/12 : CIA-RDP05S00620R000601560031-0 T$E SCAM w na 1' 1 1- 11104 w uaa.~vu Irish gay-baiter is in the hospital, where he belongs, as the D.A.'s office sifts various charges brought, `by. outraged- citizens ... Changing times: Can you believe a CIA chief. receiving "enthusiastic applause" from a packed house of, students at Stanford? Hap- pened Mon. night'to Adm. Stansfield Turner, g hi i ' n nc s still p new head, of the CIA, and. he himself ... Sexism rampant in. Oakland! Just before Mayor Lionel Wilson welcomed the S.F. Consular Corps into Oakland Museum's Great Hall, members of the women's commit- tee removed all of David Parks' paintings l ' f e ema bowing frontal male nudity. Parks Approved For Release 2010/02/12 : CIA-RDP05S00620R000601560031-0 6-PALO ALTO TIMES, Tuesday, Feb. 7, 1979 Approved For Release 2010/02/12 : CIA-RDP05SO062OR000601560031-0 ffm Turner defends JA %0 ~ influence activity BY NED MACKAY The CIA, which has been critic- ized for its efforts to influence polit- ical events in foreign countries, must retain the potential to do so, CIA Director Stansfield Turner told a Stanford University audience Monday night. But such actions should be taken "more judiciously" and "with greater control,"Turner said. "I'm not in the business of push- ing covert action," Turner told one questioner from the audience. He said he wants to retain the potential for covert actiop, however, as one alternative action. As an example, he said that if a terrorist group were to obtain a nu- clear weapon, he would feel it nec- essary to have available a plan of covert action in case the United States needed to use it, Turner addressed a packed audi- ence of about 800 people at Kresge Auditorium in the Stanford School of Law. His speech was sponsored by the student government, the Hoover Institution and the law so- ciety. There were some anti-CIA dem- onstrators who staged a brief "guerrilla theatre" skit during the question and answer period, The skit was booed. In general, Turner's appearance was without major in- cident. Turner told the audience that the CIA's responsibilities are greater thad ever before, in these times of military parity with the Soviet T I.~,_ _ - k-1 2. I;d Despite criticism in recent years of the CIA's role, Turner said the country is now "turning the cor- ner" and "taking a constructive at- titude toward intelligence." He be- lieved the CIA will be able to con- duct its activities "within the con- fines of our democratic standards." Turner criticized Daniel Ells- berg, who leaked to the media the ,Pentagon Papers on the Vietnam War. He said that by extension, if every citizen felt he could make an individual judgment on what .should be classified and what should not, the result would be "chaos." However many of Turner's lis- teners applauded at the mention of Ellsberg's name. "It is time for this country to re- turn to where the public places a modicum of confidence in its public and elected officials," Turner com- mented. In answer to questions from the audience, Turner said he has ap- proved some CIA covert activities, with the permission of the presi- dent and the oversight committees, The covert actions, l e said, were "not that exciting He declined to say whether he believed past CIA actions in Chile against the Allende government were justified. 'Turner said it is clear the CIA has done things in the past which have met with public approval, and some which have not. He said he would neither ti~~k,,,~~wr~ r?rc Approved For Release 2010/02112: CIA-RDP05SO062OR000601560031-0 e economic mter- .....-..._---- - -------- -- ----------- --- --- ----- .... Id nnlitiral inrianan_